My advice on buying a uke is to go to a shop that sells them and try different ones out. Each one will have a different feel and sound and you just have to find the one that feels right to you. Plus, if you go to a decent shop, they'll probably whip it into shape for you and be a source of help if needed.

You can start with the Mahalo, which is fairly inexpensive, while still a somewhat decent uke. I ended up with a Kala KA-15S, which cost around $65. I just preferred the feel and sound, but it's definitely a personal decision, especially when you're new to the whole thing. Do go in and try different ones out. It really is the best way to find the right one for you. It doesn't matter if you don't know a single chord. Just strumming it and holding it is enough to figure out what feels right.

The soprano is the one that most people think of when they think traditional ukulele. I think Bret plays a six-string tenor, but no idea on the make and model. There's also the concert and barritone, which I think are both a bit bigger than the usual soprano.

"It was a hilarious, hilarious moment in a very bleak, bleak time of my life."

Happiness is Bret-Shaped.

"The forecast for Jemaine today is clean-shaven with a chance of stubble. Scattered stubble throughout the week, resulting in a 60% chance of beard early next week." - mohumbhai mania

Thank you guys so much for the good advice and wise counsel. I'm definitely going to go to this wonderful shop here in London to give 'em all a strum and pluck. I can't imagine buying an instrument without holding it to see if it fits, to see if it feels sweet in your hands. I know others don't go in for personification of inanimate objects in the silly way that I do, but I can't shake the idea that you have to make friends with your instrument before you claim the little guy as your own.

I know you're all going to laugh gently at me for saying this, but there's something so peaceful about looking at ukuleles. It makes me feel all serene and happy. They're all so interesting and soulful, and I like hearing about all the different woods that go into making them. I'm especially drawn to the pineapple-shaped ukuleles, like this one:

I love the lute-like shape of it, with it's big, happy tummy. Here's another beautiful one from DaSilva:

Isn't that gorgeous? I can't spend absurd ammounts of money on my uke, but maybe if I practise and practise and get really good, I'll save my pennies and buy one of these beautiful babies someday. Here's one more that I think is just wonderful, with an abalone turtle around the sound hole, and a headstock that looks like a wing, or maybe a fin:

SO PRETTY!

I've been having a nose around to see if I can figure out what kind Bret uses, but I haven't been lucky yet. It's a six-stringer, as you say, which is a bit unusual. I can't seem to find a picture of it where I can make out the icon on the headstock, but it's gold and has curly calligraphy. I think the wood might be mahogany, which is very lovely. It might even be a custom-made jobbie, which seems not-uncommon in the uke world. Here's a snap you guys can peer at to see if you can make out the insignia. Indigo, I know you, especially, will appreciate my using this one:

Oh, I particularly like that last one with the turtle! Such a beauty! And I'm quite envious that you can go to the Duke of Uke. I think that shop must be a little slice of heaven.

Speaking of beauty, that last photo of Bret and Age is a work of art. I'd forgotten just how much I love that photo. Two beautiful, talented men holding ukuleles. What's not to love about it!

If you get really desperate to find out which uke Bret uses, I bet you might have some luck if you direct Woodshed from Ukulele Huntto a picture. He's quite knowledgeable about these kinds of things. It's a good site, anyway, and I highly recommend it to any ukers.

"It was a hilarious, hilarious moment in a very bleak, bleak time of my life."

Happiness is Bret-Shaped.

"The forecast for Jemaine today is clean-shaven with a chance of stubble. Scattered stubble throughout the week, resulting in a 60% chance of beard early next week." - mohumbhai mania

indigo_jones wrote:Speaking of beauty, that last photo of Bret and Age is a work of art. I'd forgotten just how much I love that photo. Two beautiful, talented men holding ukuleles. What's not to love about it!

I'm absolutely in love with Andy Morley-Hall's photography, and I swear it's not because of the Bret 'n Age connection. Well, not just because. But they really are gorgeous and atmospheric, aren't they? I mean, I adore a couple of his pictures so much that I'm actually considering contacting him to see if he'd be willing to sell me couple of them as prints. I think they'd look spectacular all beautifully framed, and hung together:

I don't know. They just make me happy to look at them. I'm a little weirdo that way.

indigo_jones wrote:If you get really desperate to find out which uke Bret uses, I bet you might have some luck if you direct Woodshed from Ukulele Huntto a picture. He's quite knowledgeable about these kinds of things. It's a good site, anyway, and I highly recommend it to any ukers.

Oh, that IS a good site. I'm going to keep hunting around for Bret's uke, and see if I spy anything at the Duke of Uke that looks promising. And when I come up with nothing, then I'll say "Sod this for a game of soldiers," and consult the experts. I'm tenacious, but only up to a point.

dangerous person wrote:I'd love a nice uke just for me one day, I hope you have a great time trying them out at the Duke And finding one you want to adopt of course.

I'll give you the full report! And you start putting 10p away every day, DP, for the uke of your dreams.....

I love these too, the muted colours, the poses, the background, the light, they are really beautiful. And they fit the whole uke thing so well, just slightly left of centre, quirky but delicate. Lovely.

**Indy, tell me if you want me to haul this conversation about Bret's ukulele off to another thread. I'm going to natter about it here unless told otherwise, just because it seems like a good place to talk about the myriad instruments that Bret plays. Any conclusive uke info will be noted in the WIUO thread. But feel free to give me the boot somewhere else.**

Hi there, lovely folkers. We need a little consultation. Have you got time to lend me your fine brains for a mo? I've got Bret's uke on my brain, and new evidence has come to light. First of all is this photo:

Ah, it's so great. Doesn't that girl look like someone you'd like to know? What a sweet face. When I first saw this, I didn't really pay attention to the ukulele, assuming from the way she was holding it, that it was hers. But then I went back and had another gander at it, and I thought, bloody hell, that's Bret's. Isn't it? I know it's not the best picture of it, but I think it might be. And if so, then it's definitely not made of mahogany. No way. That looks like koa to me. Look at that gorgeous golden wood grain. It's so rich and quietly beautiful.

If it's koa, then that means Bret's uke is definitely not a cheapie. Oh no. Also, the relative lack of adornment or fuss and the traditional friction tuners generally leads me to think that this is a really, really good instrument. Almost certainly hand-made. Very possibly vintage.

Here's a picture of the headstock:

I still can't really make out the name of the luthier. I've tried squinting and holding my laptop at various angles, but heck, I don't know. I think it starts with an N. Can anyone else figure that out? Here's the same image, sharpened out the yin-yang:

Does that help? Not sure. Probably not.

Help me, oh faithful folkers! What do you think?

Last edited by ASmallTurnip on Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

No idea on the answer to your burning question, Turnip, but as for the location, I think this is a good thread to generally discuss the make and model of any of Bret's instruments, not just his guitar) so keep on hunting! I'll go in and edit the subject title, too, to make it clear.

"It was a hilarious, hilarious moment in a very bleak, bleak time of my life."

Happiness is Bret-Shaped.

"The forecast for Jemaine today is clean-shaven with a chance of stubble. Scattered stubble throughout the week, resulting in a 60% chance of beard early next week." - mohumbhai mania